Shattered Family
by Taterhead
Summary: New chapters of the future super-family. The kids are missing their old lives, and George is flying the new starship with a strange passenger aboard. And what happened two and a half centuries ago?
1. Chapter 1

Shattered Family

A Novel by Steven W. Eden

1

J'onn J'onzz of Mars wept quietly as he left the burial site of his daughter. It always went like this. He loved K'hym so very much, and the plague that killed her nearly killed his spirit as well, but that was many years ago. Since then he had made a new life and new friends on his adopted home planet of Earth and, so he thought, had come to accept the loss of his daughter and his wife, M'yri'ah.

His friends, the humans, had always made much of "closure" when dealing with such a loss, but until recently, the concept was as alien to him as his true form was to their eyes. Each year on this date he would visit K'hym's resting place. He would always enter in as stoic a manner as he had always shown as a keeper of the peace and security of this world. Each year on this date he would recall once again watching K'hym die in his arms from the terrible plague that ravaged her and her mother. The tears would form and stream down his face in revolt against his ordinarily detached manner and he would be forced to leave sooner than he would have liked, shaking with emotion. Yes, it always went like this.

_If only she could be interred on Mars,_ he thought. He felt that was where she belonged. _This planet was **my** adopted home, never hers. _

He knew that his window of opportunity to do something about it was growing quickly to a close. For some time, his Martian abilities had left him one by one. The only shapes he seemed able to assume were the super hero Martian Manhunter, and his earthly disguise of John Jones. He found it too difficult to morph into and assume any shape that he was less familiar with. His amazing strength had already faded away as had his speed and gift of flight. J'onn was, he realized, aging and the end for him would soon be in sight. Only his telepathic abilities seemed to be as reliable as they had always been, but he knew that this too would soon change. If K'hym was to go home at all, it must be now or never.

Until Earth people had advanced their technology far enough to develop regular spaceflights to Mars, the idea had been pretty much impossible. Oh, he probably could have asked one of his friends in the League to help him take her home, but this was such a private matter that it seemed wrong to impose on any of them. Superman would have done it without even thinking about it; that was just the way he was made, and the similarities of their alien status certainly gave them something in common. But the bottom line was that he had never asked Clark to help, and now it was too late. Superman was laid to rest years ago.

If he could, he would rectify that mistake and ask for assistance from his friends in the League, but all his comrades were, like Clark, either dead or infirm.

All but one, that is.

_Diana,_ he thought. _She, as an Amazon, is gifted with eternal youth. And she and I have always had a close relationship._

Wiping the tears from his eyes, J'onn J'onzz of Mars resolved it was time to ignore his feelings of privacy and pride, and to ask one of his best friends for help. He needed to take K'hym home and to do it, he would seek out the aid of Diana, Wonder Woman.

"So, what are you majoring in, Jimmy?" asked Linda Kaye as they met in the student union building of Texas Northern University.

"**Not** American history!" was the reply from young man across the table. "To tell the truth, I'm not really sure. Neither one of my parents is pushing me into any particular direction, but I have the feeling that Dad would like to see me in engineering, while Mom would like me to explore the arts a little more." Jim looked around him and took in the sights and smells of the crowded room, and in particular, the snack and lunch line. "Have you tried the food here? I met another freshman today who said it wasn't too bad for school cafeteria food."

"And I met a junior who said that she got food poisoning here last year. So what do **you** want to do?"

"Well, I'd kind of like to eat a little something…"

"No, silly, I mean about a major! You shouldn't major in something just because your mom or dad want you to. It should be something you think will be of most benefit to you in your future life – something you're interested in and you think it could be your life's work. You know, like I'm getting into pre-med?"

Jimmy chuckled at this as the pair got in the food line. "I think my life's work has already been arranged for me since I met that little green crystal from outer space last spring. Not much I can get in a classroom that will help me there, I think."

"Oh, I disagree totally, Mr. Kent. There are a lot of subjects that a budding superhero could use – in both the arts **and** the sciences."

Jimmy examined the entrees and pointed at the grilled chicken. The young girl behind the counter, obviously a student, put a helping on a plate and passed it down the line. "I guess so, but I have a minor problem with being both the college freshman **and** the superhero. I mean, golly! I've only been to classes for a week, and it seems like every time a lecture begins, I pick up some kind of accident or something with my super hearing and I have to excuse myself to go help. I'm already not very popular with the faculty, I can tell you. Uh, green beans, please."

"But don't they know…?" Linda waved off the attendant who was asking if she wanted anything.

"I'm sure that some of them do, but I've been trying to keep it as quiet as I can. Mashed potatoes, please. You remember how tough it was in high school! And I didn't even have the powers then! Just the name! If the other students find out that I'm **that** Jimmy Kent, the new Superman, I won't have time to get any classwork done with all of them asking me about flying, x-ray vision, and stuff like that. I have the feeling the profs will really have it in for me when that happens!"

"So… you're saying that you need a…" Linda began to laugh, "…a secret identity?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny. As if I could do that! What I really need is a professor of superheroes who would be able to teach me the ins and outs of being… who I am now." Jim took a glass and filled it with iced tea. Linda did the same.

"I think you have one of those at home, don't you?"

"What, iced tea?"

"No! Someone who can teach you super-hero 101. Like maybe… your mom?"

"That would be a great idea, except that she's not at home. Instead she's decided to stay at Paradise Island until they can get things back together there. I don't think my dad is too thrilled with the idea, either. He told her she should do what her heart tells her, but he probably thought she would turn it down. I hope this doesn't cause too many problems for them." Jimmy took out his wallet and gave his voucher card to the cashier, another young lady who recognized the name on it. She just stared at Jim for a minute until Jim broke the trance with a simple, "Ma'am?" The girl punched the appropriate debit into the card and handed it back to Jimmy, but she continued to stare as he and Linda headed back to their table.

"Can't you stay with her on Paradise Island and learn what you need to learn?"

"What? The lunch lady?"

"No! Stop acting so stupid! You know what I mean! Your mom!"

"She says males aren't allowed on Paradise Island. When we stepped foot on the island last spring, it was an exception because of the need to save the Earth. I think it's a lot of… well… I think it doesn't matter because it isn't even the original Paradise Island." They sat down at their table. The cashier came out of the lunch line area with a washcloth and began wiping the table next to them, staring at Jim all the while.

"So I guess you get to stay here with me at TNU? Sorry about that, big boy!"

Jimmy smiled at Linda. "I can think of worse things that could happen. But if I _do_ ever wear out my welcome here, almost fifty other institutions of higher learning said they would love to have Superman going to their school." Jim's face suddenly took on an expression of disgust. "You know, almost every one of them wouldn't even have let me on their grounds as a janitor until that green rock gave me those powers and abilities. Now, it doesn't matter if I can't spell 'cat'!"

"C – A – T!" blurted out the lunch lady, who immediately turned an interesting shade of red and quickly returned to the lunch line. Jim and Linda watched her disappear into the kitchen and broke out laughing.

"You know why I decided to attend classes here?" asked Jimmy after the laughter died down.

"I hope it has something to do with a certain female freshman."

"I mean besides that! This is the only school that didn't actually try to recruit me. And they know my name! My **real** name! Believe it or not, I have at least thirty letters from schools that begin, 'Dear Superman'. And the rest of them go on about me being the new 'Man of Steel' somewhere in their pitch. All except this place, that is.

"I **do** love you, Linda, and it's great to be at the same school as you, but if these guys had done the same thing as those others, I… I just don't know if I would've been here."

"Well, you know, I think I understand why you feel that way, Jimmy. I'm just glad that we **are** here together. Now, are you going to eat that chicken or just smell it?"

Jimmy smiled at Linda Kaye and dug into his lunch. But between bites, he looked up from the repast and offered, "I think I'll ask mom again to train me at this superhero stuff. Maybe she could find time on weekends."

"Good idea!"

"Yeah, and it just occurred to me that I already have the textbook at home!"

George Kent was pleading with his wife, Phyllis, from an anti-gravity platform that was hovering but two feet above a beautiful grass meadow on the Island of Themyscira. "Are you sure there isn't some sort of exception to this rule for husbands of amazons? I mean, this seems pretty ridiculous to me. After all, you and I walked all over this island together just a few months ago!"

"I know, I know! And if it makes any difference to you, darling, I agree with you. But you have to understand that I, perhaps more than any other Amazon, must uphold all the laws and customs of Paradise Island. It would look as if I hold myself above our ways, and I just can't afford to do that; especially not now."

"Couldn't you delegate your authority to someone else here? You ask, say, Artemis, for example – and come back home. You could stay in contact with her by vidphone."

"George, we've been through this already. I have to physically be here on the Island, at least until our homeland is once again thriving as it once was. Remember what Artemis said? Most of the Amazons left Paradise Island when they thought I was dead. They believed there was nothing left for them here anymore. I need to make them realize how wrong that is. I need to make them understand that Themyscira needs them more than ever and that our home is more important than any one of us… Even me!"

There was silence for a moment until George said, "The home that you and I started is pretty important to me."

Phyllis had been trying to hold in her tears throughout the conversation, but now she no longer had that control. "It's important to me, too. Don't you see how hard this is for me? If I could, I would abdicate and come back to Fort Worth with you right now! But part of this is my fault… "

"Your fault! How could it be your fault? You were knocked silly by an explosion while saving the rest of the Amazons! You couldn't help it that you suffered amnesia for twenty years!"

"George, my former life is the reason it's my fault, not the amnesia. There were so many of our people that felt that I abandoned the Amazons years ago when I was known as Diana… when I left the Island to be Wonder Woman. Now those same women who felt I gave up on them are returning… and they're bringing Paradise Island back to its former prominence! How can I turn my back on that?"

"I guess I just have a bad case of empty nest syndrome, what with Jimmy away in college and you and our daughter here at Themyscira. It's a pretty big house without the three of you to share it with me. Tell me again why Noel can't come back to Texas with me?"

"Because she wants to learn the ways of the Amazons, and she won't find a better school than right here. I'm not trying to keep her from you. I just think this would be a good learning experience for her. That's all!

"Look, I've got an idea. Why don't you live here?"

"What? Perpetually suspended two feet off the ground? I don't think so. If I'm going to live on an island called 'Paradise', I want to able to live ON an island called 'Paradise'.

Phyllis surveyed the rig upon which her husband was standing and nodded. "I can't argue with that. But look, just let me have a little while to get everyone and everything up to speed. Maybe we can work out a compromise later."

George returned her gaze, but not very warmly. He was clearly disappointed at the way things were working out. But he managed to choke out his agreement to the current arrangement and then added, "Look, I - I've been offered an assignment anyway. I wasn't going to accept it because it would've kept me away from home for a good while. I guess I might as well take it now. It may lead to that promotion to lead pilot we've… I… have been wanting for some time. Yellow Sun is beginning service to one of Saturn's moons and they really would like their number one advertising icon to front it."

"Darling, that's marvelous!"

"The fact that I 'helped save the world' didn't hurt my chances, either. Never mind that our neighbor and you and Jim were the real heroes of that little…"

"Not true! You and your friend from New Krypton were as much a part of that as anyone involved!"

"Well, maybe! But I just wish my skills as a space shuttle pilot were more important to them than my relationship to a super-hero… "

_Hmmm… maybe that that should be **three** super-heroes, _he thought.

"This is just so _cool!_" said Noel Kent as she spoke to her friend, Sherry Carr on the vidphone in her room. "Amazons get to learn the neatest things! Today, I got to actually talk to a horse! Okay, so _that's_ not really the cool part, but the horse _answered _me… And I _understood what it was saying!_ It's some kind of telepathy thing or something, but it's all about… let's see, what did Cassie say it was? Oh, yeah! It's about 'being one with nature!' It seemed pretty silly at first, but after I caught on, it was really just the _ultimate!_"

"Roger Thomas talks to his cat a lot, but I don't think the cat really understands him, except when it's dinner time."

"Roger Thomas? I think he wanted to ask me to the Back-to-School dance this year, and I wanted to go with him. But I ended up staying here. I guess he found someone else to go with, huh?"

"Well… yes, he did."

"Ah, man! Who did he take?"

"Uhmmm… me…?"

"YOU?"

"Well, you're not here, Noe. So… I knew he couldn't go with you, and he seemed so lonely, so when I asked him…"

"YOU asked HIM? How could you do that, Sherry? You're my best friend! You know how I feel about him?"

"Well, like I said, you aren't here, and I thought you wouldn't mind if I went with him, because… because… Oh, I've got to go! Mom's calling me!"

"Your Mom? I can't hear her!"

"Well, she is. She really truly is. I need to hang up, Noe. I'm sorry! Bye!"

The screen went black as a single tear ran down Noel's cheek.

"Bye…" she whispered to no one.

Jennifer Alexis Luthor was feeling very mellow. The murder charges against her had been dropped for lack of evidence, and she was free on bond pending a hearing on the charges of racketeering and fraud – charges which her lawyer told her were a good bet to be thrown out as well.

"But don't get too cocky, Ms. Luthor," he said. "Judge Byrne may stick to the letter of the law but he would like nothing better than to make a name for himself, and bringing down a descendent of the infamous Lex Luthor just may be his chance. You should probably stay out of sight and act the innocent little business owner until he is forced to close this case. _Don't_ give him reason to doubt your sincerity."

Jennifer leered at the counselor with a very sly smile. "Who, _me_? Little ol' _me_? Why Mr. Hackman! I _am_ sincere! I am as sincere as the day is long! And despite a spaceship thief and his alien sidekick who have made false and scurrilous accusations of me, there's nobody _alive_ that could prove me any different!"

Hackman shuddered at this declaration. Despite his duty to defend his client to the best of his ability, he knew all too well what she really meant by her statement.

"That 'spaceship thief' and his sidekick helped to keep the Earth from blowing to smithereens. The judge might tend to give them the benefit of the doubt when and if they do testify. Just remember what I told you," he coldly replied as he closed his briefcase and headed out of the courtroom. "Just stay under the radar!"

"Oh, I will, counselor," she whispered. "Just as soon as I make George Kent pay for putting me on the screen!"


	2. Chapter 2

2

Jim still hadn't completely mastered the art of flying yet, but he was beginning to get where he needed to go – even if the trip might have several unscheduled stops along the way. This trip from the campus to Themyscira had already seen him fall into the ocean six times, a new low if he could stay aloft in the air for just a few more miles.

_Steady, boy! Steady! Just a little further…_ A wind shear Jimmy wasn't expecting redirected his flight steeply downward and the new Man of Steel went headlong into the ocean. He adjusted as quickly as he could and surfaced, but his momentum kept him speeding forward, skipping the water like a flat stone thrown from shore.

_Dang it,_ he thought. _Just_ _WHEN_ _am I going to get the hang of this?_ He still had Paradise Island in sight and in between splashes of saltwater, he thought he saw a flash of blue light cutting through the sky and targeting his mother's homeland.

_A sunbeam, perhaps? No, there are no clouds above to create the illusion. Besides, it's the wrong wavelength – shouldn't be blue, unless it's…a ray of some sort. Is it… AN ATTACK?_

At once, Jim was once again in the air, and this time flying straight as a Texas clothesline towards where the blue ray appeared to be striking. He neared his destination without slowing enough, and coming in from an awkward angle, tumbled three times on the ground.

His invulnerable body would remain unharmed, of course, but he closed his eyes in anticipation of the crash landing anyway. When he opened them, he was looking up from a spread eagle position at a slim, green, naked creature that was smiling benignly at him.

"Not a very picturesque landing, but as they used to say, 'any landing you can walk away from…'" said Greenie in perfect English.

Jim was up in a twinkling and taking hold of the creature's shoulder shouted at his new acquaintance, "What kind of thing are you and why are you attacking my mother's island? Are there others like you?"

"Attack?" the green man replied with a puzzled expression that quickly changed as he realized, "Oh…. You must mean the transporter beam! No, no, there's no attack. No attack!" His face changed once more to a sorrowful visage. "As for others like me, I'm afraid there hasn't been _anyone_ else like me for a long time. I just came here to… visit a friend."

"A friend? What friend of yours could that possibly be on Paradise Island?"

"That would be me," came a familiar voice from behind Jimmy. He turned to see his mother standing hands on hips dressed in her Wonder Woman outfit and she didn't look very happy with him. "He is a very old friend of mine. Hello, J'onn. Are you all right? My son didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Your… son? Why… of course, I see the resemblance now. No, Diana. I'm fine."

Jimmy, still uncomfortable hearing others calling his mother anything but "Phyllis," let his grip on the Martian relax.

"Mom, I'm sorry! I - I - saw this light - a ray of some kind. I thought - I thought you were under attack! I guess I should've…"

"No, young man," said J'onn. "You did exactly the right thing. I suppose from a distant vantage point it could've looked like an attack. And I believe your mother just might have thought the same thing. Otherwise, Diana, you wouldn't be in your 'union suit' as Wally used to call it."

Diana's face reddened considerately at this and admitted, "Yes, I didn't think anyone from the old days was left and when I saw the transporter beam…"

"A transporter beam? Is that what it was?" asked Jim.

"Yes, from the JLA headquarters, I presume, J'onn?" J'onn nodded. "I suited up just in case the visitor might not be friendly."

An awkward silence followed this revelation for a few moments until Jimmy broke it with, "Well, uhm, who _is_ it that I've had the pleasure of manhandling, if I might ask?"

"OH! Sorry! Jimmy, meet J'onn J'onzz of Mars. J'onn, this Jimmy Kent, my son."

"This is J'onn J'onzz – the Manhunter?"

"I've… never really liked that nickname. I _have_ been a policeman – a detective to be more precise. But I never liked the sound of 'manhunter.' It always sounded to me like I was going to eat the criminals I arrested."

"But…" Now it was Jimmy with the puzzled look on his face. "But the pictures I've seen of him - his statue at Hamilton Spaceport - you, uh, don't come close to resembling… Tell me, have you lost weight?"

The two Justice Leaguers laughed. "This is J'onn's natural Martian state," said Diana/Phyllis. The image you have is one he would shape-shift into in order to 'fit in' a little more with Earth people."

"I also found it to be a little more… intimidating to the criminal lot, shall we say?"

Jimmy looked at the green man and could only manage a weak, "Oh!"

J'onn chuckled and turned to Diana and said, "Kent, did you say? His father is from Kal's lineage? I thought his bloodline had thinned out too much for super powers?"

"George Kent is my husband and, yes, you're right. Jimmy had no powers to speak of until three months ago. It's a long story. Perhaps I can tell it to you back in the village? Jim, please use your flying ability and hover above the ground. You know the rules here."

"Yep, I know 'em, but Dad's right. It is silly. Hey! What about J'on---." A quick glance down to the Martian's feet revealed that he had been hovering ever since he had arrived.

Phyllis glared at her son, who was also now six inches above Theyscieran soil.

"Sorry, Mom," he whimpered as they all began to make their way back to the Amazonian village. And in a voice too soft for his mother to hear, he added, "But it really is silly."

"You're married? I wasn't sure you would ever do that. How did it come about?" asked J'onn.

"That's a long story as well. He's a wonderful man, with gorgeous eyes! Our daughter inherited them, I think."

"Your daughter? You have two children? Or are there any more?"

"Just the two, but they're great kids. Let me tell you about how George and I met…"


	3. Chapter 3

3 

One look at the new spacecraft and George knew that this would not be just another trek into outer space. It was his understanding that this was to a simple shakedown flight to check the clearance of the space lanes and to make sure all the features of the new ship were in proper working order. But with a passenger compliment twice that of the old S-103, the S-215 was larger than any he had ever seen in the Yellow Sun line of space ships. The rumor among the pilots was that it was faster than any Earth craft had ever gone. Some said that it could match the speed of light itself. If that's true, he thought, we could make the run in less time than it takes us to go to Mars and back with the S-103.

He had been studying the specs for the last three months – ever since the business with the Purple Soil. He thought about his Kryptonian friend, Guer-On, and wondered if Earth vessels would ever be able to match the speeds necessary for inter-stellar flight like his ship. He hoped he would be able to live long enough to see that in his lifetime, but for now, though, this would have to suffice.

"Magnificent vessel, isn't she?" came a familiar voice from behind him. He turned around to see Whitney Ellsworth admiring the new craft.

"Good to see you, Whit!" said George as he shook his friend's hand. "Bet you can't wait to get your hands on this one, eh?"

"And you would win that bet in a heartbeat, Georgie. I guess every pilot in the spaceline would like to get a crack at this one. Think you're ready for a big boy like this?"

"I think I can handle it as long as you're at the helm." George was not at all surprised that Ellsworth was assigned the job of pilot on this bird's first flight. He had worked with Whit for years, and as far as he was concerned, Captain Whitney Ellsworth was the best spaceship pilot available anywhere.

"Well then," replied his friend, "we've got a small problem because I won't be steering this contraption. The company's found itself a young hotshot to put in the driver's seat of this monster."

"Well, if you're not piloting, who is?"

"Hey guys!" said Jack Larson as he and Doris joined the group.

George went wide-eyed. "Jack?"

"Uh, yeah? It's me. What did I miss?"

"No, no, no, George. It's not Jack. I'm surprised you haven't heard. This guy's been all the talk at the pilot's association."

"Well, I've been a little… busy."

"I guess you have, what with saving the planet and all."

"Well, I…"

"Congratulations, George!" said Whitney as he produced a pair of golden wings from his pocket and pinned them on George's coat. "And welcome to your new assignment, **Captain** George Kent!" Ellsworth finished tacking the wings to George and then stepped back at attention and offered a smart salute which a confused and very abashed Captain Kent returned slowly. Jack and Doris applauded enthusiastically.

"I… I don't know what to say. I…"

Larson, ever the wise guy, interrupted. "How about saying 'Gee thanks. I couldn't have done it without the services of the best navigator in the fleet'?"

Kent's eyes twinkled at this. "Consider it said, Lieutenant. Now what do you say we get aboard and check out this ship?"

The pre-flight check went without a hitch. "Too easy!" as Larson said. It went so well, in fact, that George had plenty of time to meet the rest of his crew before the passengers arrived. The roster was more extensive than George had ever flown with before, which was necessitated by the larger group of passengers that was expected to use the new service to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.

Previously, the company had run only smaller shuttle services to closer venues such as Mars and Earth's moon. But this was to be the crown jewel of Yellow Sun's fleet. From the very first moment that humans began efforts to prepare Titan for colonization, Yellow Sun had initiated their efforts to be the main provider of transport to and from the ringed planet's largest moon, which was the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere.

Pomp and circumstance was expected for the maiden flight, with company executives and political dignitaries arriving to take part in the festivities as well as the thrill of being the first to make the trip.

And every one of them wanted a picture of the "father of Superman" shaking hands with them. George, of course, was used to being the cover boy of Yellow Sun because of his relationship to his famous ancestor, but now that his son, Jimmy had assumed the role of "The Man of Steel", it seemed much more tasteless than it ever had.

The CEO of Yellow Sun made his way towards him with several media types in tow. "So good to see you again, my boy. I just wanted to say hello and wish you well on your flight."

Well, that's a switch, thought George. He didn't even mention Superman in two sentences!

"And I wanted to personally thank you for saving our little planet."

Three sentences! Impressive. "Well sir, it wasn't just me, it was a lot of peop…"

"Oh, I know, I know. It was you and that boy of yours. So good to know that Superman is back on the job! It must be wonderful having him for a son; almost as wonderful as having his father working for my company."

With that, Mr. CEO put his right hand in George's, put his left arm around George's back, swung George around to face the cameras and reporters, and with the widest smile anyone had ever seen on a corporation executive, began pumping George's right hand as if he were trying to bring water up from a well.

As quick as he had arrived, the "V" in VIP, hastened away, regaling the media mob with stories of "how my company was built and look how far we've come and how far we are going and it's the people working for us that makes us what we are and oh, isn't it wonderful that what's-his-name has Superman for a son and we are so lucky that he works for us."

For a minute, George was afraid he was going to throw up.

I wanted to say, he thought, that it was many others including my entire family who helped saved the planet. He thought of Chester Carr, his next door neighbor who was the first geologist to recognize that the purple soil was tied directly to the earthquakes. Guer-on, his friend from New Krypton saved his life and brought him home where he helped Chester fill in the blanks about the threat. Phyllis regained her memory of being Wonder Woman and with Jimmy and Guer-On, was one of the "super-trio" that burrowed deep into the planet and transformed the purple soil back to its natural earthly state. Even Noel, his daughter, found the link between the quakes on Earth and Krypton, which set everything else onto the right track. And that's not counting the thousands of others, he thought, who risked their lives to save others during the quakes, or gave their time to create the technology needed to finish the job.

For the first time in his career, George wondered if his rise in the company was earned or if he was just a figurehead.

Before the shuttle was to lift off, all of the company bigwigs and politicos gathered before the news people on a raised dais that had been custom-built for the event. A brass band played stirring march tunes from the past as each member of the entourage said his piece. George wanted to be in the cockpit getting to know his crew a little better during all this, but the team of suits made sure that he was on the platform with them. Boring speeches were made one after another and they all sounded as if they had been written by the same author.

When George was asked to say a few words, he only muttered, "Let's go!" and the crowd went wild. The band began playing more inspiring music and George hurried through the audience to the S-215, and up into the ship.

Thank Goodness! he thought. Now all we need are the passengers and we can get out of here!

And the passengers did come. Many were the same dignitaries who had been enjoying the sound of their own voices. The bulk of these were only making the flight to and back from Titan for bragging rights later, but some actually were going for a short stay to check on how well the new hub was set for business. One abstention from the flight was the Yellow Sun CEO who had made such a production of meeting with George earlier. Ironically, the head man of the company was afraid of flying!

In a symbiotic relationship, some of the passengers were celebrities who wanted only to be seen at the latest hot event. By the same token, the spaceline was eager to exploit the free publicity, and very co-operatively offered many of these well-knowns free passage.

Finally, the group was rounded out by passengers who had gotten lucky in a lottery selection for the privilege of being the first paid fares to make the trip to Titan. The very first lottery winner, however, a Miss Julia Schwartz, not only won a first class fare paid by the company, but was also awarded extra prizes and gifts to commemorate her luck of the draw.

Miss Schwartz, a middle aged retired school teacher from New Jersey who had "never won anything in her life" was so excited at the prospect of meeting and mingling with the celebrities that she fainted as she was about to enter the ship. She was subsequently deemed too much of a health risk to make the flight, and bumped from the trip.

Normally, the captain of a flight is in the cockpit as the passengers embark, readying for the takeoff, but this being the special event that it was, George was at the hatch where the fares filed in. He made a point to smile and shake hands or greet each passenger with small talk as they entered. One fare was a little different, though. A lady, a Mrs. Maxwell, was dressed in black and had her face covered with a veil. Her husband, she said, had been an employee of Yellow Sun for twenty-five years or so and had passed away only weeks after winning a company lottery for a ticket on this flight. She had promised her late husband on his deathbed that she would make the trip "for him" to "scatter his ashes on the sands of Titan." And as if to illustrate, she produced a sepulchral urn for George's inspection.

George declined to open the ornate jar ("Sorry, Ma'am, but I'm not a security officer.") but he offered his condolences as she entered the ship. There was something about her, though – something very strangely familiar that he couldn't quite pinpoint. Have I ever seen this woman before?, he thought. Maybe I met her at a company picnic or something? His eyes followed her as she made her way back into the cabin until she disappeared into the sea of happy travelers.

Mrs. Maxwell made her way to her assigned seat and waited there quietly as the flight attendants greeted the last of the passengers to board the ship. She smiled at each one as he or she passed by on the way to his or her seat. All the while, she lovingly cradled the jar of Mr. Maxwell's "remains" and thought to herself, It won't be long now, Georgie. It won't be long now…


	4. Chapter 4

4

"Hey, squirt! What's up?" Jimmy said to his sister as he teetered in the air as he crossed the grounds to the patio where she had been practicing her self-defense training.

"I thought you were back in Texas going to school?" she replied as she continued to shadow box. "Is it the weekend already?"

"Nope, I have to get back to class in the morning. I came to ask Mom if she could give me super-hero lessons."

"What, your little green rock didn't give you instant insight on that? I thought it told you everything from how to change the course of mighty rivers to practicing public relations!" Noel spun-kicked an imaginary foe and followed with a quick one-two punch to its throat.

Jimmy, still somehow floating about six inches off the ground, gave his younger sibling a puzzled look for a moment and said, "It just told me stuff about Krypton, you know that! What's with the attitude? Did I do something to you or are you just learning how to use sarcasm to subdue an enemy? I thought you said yesterday that you were enjoying the Amazon training thing?"

"Well, that was yesterday." Noel swept-kicked her non-existent opponent and then looked at her brother. "I guess I miss being home more than I thought. All my friends are back there, school was a lot more fun. There are more girls my age there. Do you know how old the youngest Amazon on this island is?"

"I couldn't begin to guess."

"One hundred sixty something years old, that's how old! And I miss the shopping mall and I miss the music and I miss Sherry! I miss all my friends… and I miss _boys_! There aren't any _boys_ on this crazy rock!" After a long pause, Jimmy started to say something silly to lighten his sister's mood, but before he could, she quietly added, "And I miss you and Daddy." With that, Noel could no longer hold back her tears. She began to sob uncontrollably, and Jim could think of nothing he could do but to hold his little sister.

"Th-there you g-go again. A-always t-trying to b-be the h-h-hero, aren't y-you?" she managed between tears.

"No, but I think I _should_ try a little harder to be a big brother, sometimes," he whispered in her ear. "Mind if I give it a go right now?"

In answer, Noel hugged her brother all the more tightly just the center of gravity shifted and the both of them came tumbling down.

"So much has happened since we last met," said J'onn, as he and Diana strolled through the jungle-like environs of Paradise Island. "I suppose I simply took it for granted that you wished to stay single, what with your responsibilities toward your homeland. It's hard for me see you as a married woman. Your husband, George, is it? He must be a wonderful man. Heh! A 'Wonder-Man' if you will."

Diana laughed more out of surprise than at her friend's joke. While she knew the Martian had a sense of humor, he would rarely be the one cracking jokes. Instead, he would more often silently appreciate the humorous give and take between the other Justice Leaguers.

"He is a great guy, J'onn," she replied. "And I love him very much. But the truth be told, you're right. Returning Themyscira into this island paradise was a lot of work and I probably wouldn't have gotten married if fate hadn't intervened. I was stricken with amnesia."

"Amnesia? That sounds like the soap operas I used to watch on… uh… what was it called? It's been so long…"

"Television. Yes, I know it sounds a little unbelievable, but it did happen. I was defending the Island against a hostile incursion. A bomb went off and…"

"Oh, my!"

"Oh, my, indeed! I was without my magic bracelets and girdle. The concussion was so intense that I was knocked out for days. Apparently, I was found on a life-raft in the Atlantic. When I came to in the hospital, I couldn't remember who I was or how I got there. But the first thing I saw was this incredibly handsome man smiling at me. 'Well hello, Princess,' he said to me."

"Would you happen to have a picture of him?"

Diana smiled bashfully and reached into the bodice of her Wonder Woman outfit and produced a small photo.

"He doesn't know it, but I always keep this close to my heart. It's silly, I know. But it makes me feel more comfortable to know it's there."

J'onn examined the picture carefully. "He has Kal's eyes."

"Funny you should say that. That's how I was found. George saw me… from the shuttle he was working in… from outer space."

"Telescopic vision?"

"Yes. He has all the vision powers that Clark had. But at a much lower level. He has no other meta-powers."

J'onn returned the picture and the princess of Themyscira placed it back in her suit. "I'm very happy for you, Diana. Your son seems like a fine young man."

"We have a daughter, too. Her name is Noel and she is twelve… going on thirty-one."

The man from Mars smiled. He thought of his own daughter, and how they would tease and laugh with each other those many years ago.

"You have a girl, too? I would like to meet her when we get a chance."

"That's good, because she should be just past these bushes." Diana pushed the fronds back and the pair stepped into the clearing beyond where they found Noel weeping and confiding to her brother.

"I miss all my friends… and I miss _boys_! There aren't any _boys_ on this crazy rock!" After a long pause she quietly added, "And I miss you and Daddy."

Diana/Phyllis felt as if a super-villain had sucker-punched her in the gut. J'onn seemed just as deeply affected by the display. "She appears to be troubled," he said, stating the obvious.

Wonder Woman couldn't hold back her own tears.

"Our family is going through something of a… crisis," she replied. "And I think… I think it's my fault."


	5. Chapter 5

5

The ship finally lifted off. George didn't need his telescopic vision to see that the festivities were continuing to progress on the ground below.

_At last_, he thought. Now that we're up in the air, _we can see how this baby handles_.

And it did handle very smoothly as the craft slowly began its rise. Once it was safely above the crowd, it then gradually accelerated as it gained altitude. Inside, the crew marveled at how smoothly the ship ascended.

"Kent, I don't know if it's you or this bird," said Ellsworth, "but that had to be the easiest lift off I've ever experienced."

"I guess it's a just a family trait." George replied with a wink. "We Kent's do have a little family history of defying gravity." Usually he avoided jokes about his link to the original Man of Steel, but he had worked with Whitney and Jack so long that he had grown totally comfortable around them. Besides, this was something of a special occasion for him, so it was natural to let that side of him go for once.

Whitney guffawed and added, "Well, if I thought you could do that in the old Martian shuttle, you would have been doing the take off chores long ago! I could always use the extra sleep."

Larson got into the act. "What a great idea! I could use a little nap right now. How long is this buggy ride, anyway?"

"At the briefing, they thought it would be about an eighteen hour trip," chimed in the engineer, Ensign Allen Kirk. He was the only new addition to the crew, but came highly recommended by the company. "Weren't you there?"

"He was there, but I don't think he had his mind on it!" Doris said as he entered the cockpit area. Looking over at Jack, she asked, "Did you tell them, yet?"

"Nope. It's been kind of difficult to get a word in edgewise. George is reveling in his 'moment'. Whitney's working on his comedy routine. And this new guy just doesn't ever stop talking!"

"ME?" said Kirk through embarrassed lips. "But I – I – I …"

"Relax, flyboy." comforted Whitney. "That's just the way we do each other. It means Larson's 'accepted' you." Ellsworth then turned to the head flight attendant and asked, "Tell us what?"

Doris and Jack looked at each other with silly grins and lifted their left hands and wiggled their ring fingers, obviously to show off matching gold bands.

"Well, I'll be…" stuttered George. "When did this happen?"

Again, the newlyweds glanced at each other, and in a moment or two, Doris spoke up. "After Duke died, Jackie – uh – Jack stayed with me and helped me get through the shock of it all. It wasn't long that I realized how much he loves me… and how much I love him."

"One thing led to another, and… well… I guess I popped the question about a month ago. We got married last Saturday." Ellsworth glared at Larson incredulously.

"SATURDAY? What in the name of Teddy Roosevelt are you doing HERE!? You two should be on a cruise or something!"

"We are!" exclaimed Jack. "Or rather, we will be. We had already signed on for this flight before we became engaged, and frankly, this assignment was just too good for either one of us to pass up. It'll look great on our resumes."

"Uh-oh!" said Whit. "Look out, George. He's after your job."

"It's okay with me," Kent retorted. "I got yours, didn't I?"

Larson smiled. He loved this kind of witty repartee from his buddies. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys didn't think I wanted to do this forever, did you?"

"Why not?" asked Whit. "We're nice guys." He turned to George and asked, "We ARE nice guys… Aren't we?"

By now, Doris had had as much of this banter as she wanted. "When we get back from this, we plan to honeymoon at Lunar Vista Resort on Earth's moon. I understand the facilities are second to none, and the view of Earth from there is supposed to be absolutely magnificent. Now play nice, boys. I have to attend the flight or the rest of the staff will throw me out of an airlock." Doris bent over and gave her new husband a peck on the lips. "And if they don't, the passengers just might. Bye-ee!"

Doris exited the cockpit and entered the passengers' cabin where she immediately put on her best smile and began to tend to the needs of her charges.

She noticed Mrs. Maxwell, and specifically, the urn that she was holding in her lap. "Ma'am, would you like me to place that jar in the overhead storage for you? It looks heavy. It really should have been stored in the cargo hold."

The widow smiled through the black veil and replied, "Oh no, thank you. It's all that's left of my dear departed Robert. If it's all right with you, I'll just hold him until it's time."

_Well,__** that**__ sounds odd_, thought Doris. "Uh, time for what, may I ask?"

"Until it's time for me to let him go, of course. Is there a problem? That nice pilot man said it would be all right."

"'Pilot man?' You mean the captain?"

"Yes, I suppose I do. The tall, extremely well-built, handsome pilot man - I've seen him on the holovid, you know."

"That's him, all right. His name is Captain George Kent. He's a real good guy."

"I'm sure he is."

"Well, if Captain Kent said it would be okay, I guess it is. But if there is an emergency, you will have to let us stow Robert – eh – your urn for you. It's for the safety of all the others, you understand."

"Of course I do, dear. I understand completely. You have my word that when the emergency arises, I will have no need to hold onto my jar."

_**When**__ the emergency arises? What a weird thing to say,_ thought Doris, as she started to check on the needs of the other attendees, but she didn't get very far before she felt a tug on her jacket.

It was Mrs. Maxwell again. She smiled a very strange smile and said, "Be sure to thank Georgie for me again, won't you?"

Doris just stared blankly at the widow and thought, _Georgie? What's that all about?_

_Georgie?_


	6. Chapter 6

6

"As you can see, I have a lot to learn about motherhood," said Diana as she walked with her Martian friend to the newly rebuilt Paradise Island palace. She had spent the better part of the last hour comforting her daughter and reassuring both her children that a divorce was anything but imminent. "I never realized that it had come this far, that it was spilling over to the kids."

"Your husband doesn't approve of your regal standing in Themyscira?"

"No, I don't think that's the problem – not exactly, anyway. You have to understand that George has always thought of me as Phyllis…"

"Phyllis?"

"Yes, it's the name my doctor gave me while I was suffering from the amnesia. When we were married, he never had any idea that I was Diana of Themyscira. Nor did I, come to think of it. We spent 20 years living together in Fort Worth, Texas…"

"Fort Worth…," interrupted J'onn with a wave of his hand as he mused. "Where the West begins… Panther City… Cowtown…" He suddenly smiled. "Cowboys!"

"Yee-ha!" said Diana with a chuckle. "And outside of the usual budget and minor discipline problems with the kids growing up…"

"_Those_ angels? Nooooo…"

"I'm afraid so!" she replied with a laugh. "You know, this is why I always enjoyed talking to you. When we started our walk, I was quite blue, but now you've got me giggling like a teenager. But the problem is this: George misses Phyllis and the life we had together. Now that I remember who I am and that I've had to reclaim my place in the Amazon society, he's afraid that I will change the way I feel about him."

"Has it?"

"No! On the contrary, I still love him more than any man I have _ever_ met in my life! And that includes Steve Trevor! But the situation here is grave, J'onn! The Amazon Nation was so close to irreparable harm and I was the only one who could save it. I had to move back here to oversee its rebirth and he was none too happy about making the move with me."

"And your children?"

"We tried not to let them know how much this problem was affecting our relationship, but I guess the tension must have been a giveaway. Noel seemed so excited about living and learning here at first, but I think _that_ coupled with her homesickness must have reached a boiling over point. Jimmy is the only one to not show any problems with the situation. I guess he's really starting to grow up."

"Watching you comfort Noel…" The Martian now seemed to have difficulty with his speech. "It reminded me of my own child, K'hym…" A tear began to form in his eyes. "…And the reason that I came to see you."

"J'onn," said an emotionally touched Diana. "In all the years we've known each other, I don't think you've ever spoken to me about your family on Mars – not since we first got to know each other, that is." She placed her powerful Amazon arm around J'onn's back and hugged him. "You've always helped _me_ so much over the years! What _about_ K'hym? If there is anything – _anything_ – I can do to help you, you know that I will!"

"Then help me, Diana," said the man from Mars with tears now streaming down his green cheeks. "Please help me… to take her home!"

"Home!" shouted Artemis to Noel. "You're crying over being away from that miserable piece of dirt called 'Texas'? My sisters lost three homelands before this one, but not _one_ of them shed tears for the experience. And here you are whimpering like a two year old about missing your **home**?!"

"Hey!" interrupted Jimmy. "Do you think you could go just little easier on her? She wasn't brought up as an Amazon, you know!"

"Oh yes, I _do_ know. That fact is definitely _not_ wasted on me! I personally find it incredible that Diana…"

"Her name is Phyllis!" cried Noel.

"…That _Diana_ would be so clueless as to think that we could actually make an Amazon out of _you_! And to make matters worse, she picks _me_ to make this amazing transformation." Artemis suddenly took notice of Jimmy. "What are _you_ doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, fighting for truth, justice and the Ameri…"

"I just wanted to see my mother for a few minutes, okay?"

Artemis stared at Jim for a few seconds before replying in her best deadpan manner, "How touching. Maybe I should take pictures or something." She glanced at his feet which were hovering a few inches above the ground. "At least you're not standing on the island, although you're making me sea-sick with the swaying back and forth thing. I _still_ say you don't look like much of a superman."

"Hey! I'm working on it!" Jimmy replied, obviously insulted. "That was what I wanted to talk to Mom about. I need to find out more about how to do this – this… super-hero stuff! I just don't get it, I guess. To be honest, you're probably right. I'm _not_ much of a superman. But I was given these powers for a reason, so I came here to see if my mother could teach me how to be a better one."

"Well! That is actually a pretty good idea. And you came up with that all by yourself?"

"Uh… Not entirely. I was talking it over with my girlfriend back home in Texas and she…"

"Ah-_hah_! Once again, whenever a… a _man_…" She spat out the word 'man' as if it were a rotten peanut. "Whenever a _man_ gets a decent idea, it's always a good bet that a _woman_ is behind it. And there's that word again! _Texas_!" She turned once again to Noel. "How could you get so sentimental about that parcel of gods forsaken land? There's nothing there but desert and heat!"

Now Noel was the insulted party! Her tears became a thing of the past as she traded them in for a large helping of righteous indignation. She looked Artemis straight in the eye and calmly replied, "It's where I was brought up. And as for what my home is like, I think you've been watching too much holo-vision."

"Uh-huh! Finally, I see a little spunk. Maybe, little princess," said Artemis with a smile as she turned to retreat back to the compound area. "Maybe there _is_ hope for you, yet."

Jim and Noel silently watched her disappear into the tropical flora.

"So _that's_ your teacher?" said Jimmy, finally breaking the silence.

"Yep, that's her," replied his sister.

"And I thought Mr. Weisinger was tough!" He turned towards Noel with a puzzled look on his face and quietly asked, "Say, did she just call you, 'little princess'?"


	7. Chapter 7

7

Mrs. Maxwell rose from her seat and began to walk toward the rear of the seating area. In her arms, she still cradled the jar of "Mr. Maxwell's remains".

"Mrs. Maxwell?" asked Doris as the old lady passed her in the aisle. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, dearie. I just need to avail myself of the… uhm… facilities. It _is_ down this way, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh. Just continue that direction and there are doors – one on the right and one on the left. You'll want the one on the left."

"Oh thank you _so_ much. But what _is_ the door on the right and where does it lead to?"

"Oh, that wouldn't interest you. It's just an access hatch to certain maintenance areas of the ship. It's locked anyway."

"You'd be surprised to find out just _what _interests me, dearie." Mrs. Maxwell gave a sort of leering smile that Doris could barely make out through her veil.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want me to take care of your urn while you… uh…"

"Now, now. We've been through this already, remember? It's so nice of you to offer, but I'm not letting go of this jar until the right time has come to do so. But thank you again." And Mrs. Maxwell turned and began ambling down the aisle once again.

"You're welcome," said Doris. _I guess_, she finished in thought. _That lady is definitely a weird one!_

When Mrs. Maxwell reached the doors, she opened the jar she was carrying, removed a metal object shaped like a small circle with small colored lights. She placed it on the door on the right and with a _clunk_, the circle gizmo adhered itself to its new home magnetically. The mysterious spinster then pushed a red button in the center of the contraption and the door unlocked and opened.

"Georgie," she whispered to herself, "I used this the last time we met! Don't you _ever_ learn?" Giggling softly to herself, "Mrs. Maxwell" removed her electronic skeleton key and entered the now open door. "Soon, Georgie! Soon!" she muttered as the door shut behind her.

"Go fish!" commanded Ellsworth to Kirk just before flashing a sinister grin from behind his hand of cards.

"Are you _sure_ it's okay to be playing cards like this while the flight is in progress?" asked the rookie engineer.

"Like how else would you want to _play_ cards?" deadpanned the veteran co-pilot just before the cockpit door opened and Doris entered.

George looked back at the cute newlywed and said to Jack, "Better put those girly magazines away, Junior. Here comes Mother!"

Larson stuck out his tongue in Kent's general direction, then gave his wife a smile. "What's up, hon? We weren't expecting to hear from you again for another quarter hour. Or did you just miss me that much?"

Doris ignored the humorous tone in the cockpit. "I was just talking to Mrs. Maxwell in 16C."

"She seems a little odd to me," interrupted George. "What do _you_ think?"

"Well, you know she has that urn with her husband's ashes in it. She wouldn't let go of it, even when I told her it should be stowed away in case of an emergency."

"Okay," said Whitney. "So?"

"Then she said that when the emergency arises, she wouldn't need it anymore."

"Like I said – so?"

"Whit, she said 'when' not 'if'. Don't you find that strange?"

"Not overly so. It could have been in response to the way you worded your caution."

"Maybe, but then she said something really weird, unless Captain Kent here has been flirting with her."

"Me? I don't think so! What did she say?"

"She said – and I quote – 'Tell Georgie, I said thanks.' Why would she call you 'Georgie'?"

Realization hit George right between the eyes as his head jerked toward the young attendant upon hearing the liberties taken with his name . "She said what…?" His reply came out more like an exclamation than a question. "Great Scott! It _can't_ be…"

Suddenly the sound and impact of an explosion rocked the ship.

"Jennifer!"

The intercom came to life as if on cue. "Georgie! Long time, no see! How's Gary? You know, your tiny friend from – well, where _is_ he from, anyway? I didn't really get that address of his before we parted company?"

"You know this lunatic, George?" asked Whitney as Jennifer continued ranting.

"We've met!"

"She sure likes to hear herself talk, doesn't she?"

The observation was not meant as a joke and no one laughed; least of all, George. He could only muster a quiet, "Mmm-hmm."

Jennifer continued, "I know you're happy to hear me, and I'll bet you would just love to come down into the maintenance deck to visit with me, face to face, now wouldn't you?"

"Just what do you want, Jennifer? What did you do to the ship?"

"Oh… You mean that little pop? Oh well, yes. You got me. I admit that that was indeed me and my little plastic bomb. I only blew a hole in the cargo hold hatchway to get your attention. My little way of saying, 'Howdy!' I guess. Looks like it worked! As for what I want, I've already told you! I want _you_, Georgie! I want you to come down here to the maintenance deck to say hello to your old friend, Jen! We have _so_ much to talk about! But please come alone. I'm still a little self conscious about my follicle - challenged head that you gave me three months ago. Besides, I have half the ship rigged to explode _and_ I have an energy pistol. You know, it's _amazing_ what you can fit in a cremation urn. By the way, thank you for helping me get it through security. It would _never_ have made it through if not for you!"

George winced as he realized how he had been duped. _From now on_, he thought_, it'll be by the book all the way, security wise_.

"Georgie? I can't heeeeear you?" she sing-songed after a couple of seconds. "You'd better hurry on down, lover! I'm getting lonely. And when I'm lonely, I like to blow things up to break the monotony. I'd hate for all those nice people to get hurt… or killed. Would you?"

"All right, Jennifer! I'm comi-"

"Oh, please! Call me Jen! After all, we go back a ways don't we?"

"All right… Jen! I'm on my way. Just don't do anything stupid that would get everyone killed!"

"Why, Georgie! I'm… hurt. Truly _hurt_ that you would say that. You must think I'm some sort of… of… _monster_! But I forgive you! Just hurry on down here. Toodles!"


	8. Chapter 8

8

**Two and a half centuries earlier…**

Jor-El's family was overjoyed at the news. His mother said she thought the baby looked like him, but that "the child should outgrow it eventually, thank Rao!" She couldn't help but smile with pleasure when she met little Kal-El... and Jor couldn't help but smile at the thought that his mother - _his mother_ - had actually made a joke. Zor couldn't be there because of his responsibilities with his experiment, but Jor phoned him with the news.

"Congratulations, Mister straight and narrow," said Zor-El on hearing the news. "I knew you'd get that girl in trouble the minute I saw your eyes meet hers back in college. Is the little fellow close enough that you could show him to his uncle?"

Jor pointed the lens in the base of the phone at his young progeny. "There he is, Uncle Zor! What do you think? Does he favor his father's side of the family or the mother's?"

"Definitely the father's. But I have it on good authority that they grow out of it, thank Rao!"

"That's funny! That's exactly what Mother said." Jor brought the camera lens back toward him. "I hear you have a quite a 'baby' of your own about to be born."

"Ah, yes. My biosphere experiment! Argo City is about to begin a new age, Jor. The basic construction of the dome is now complete. All that remains now is to detect and seal all the micro breeches that may exist, and to get rid of any surplus material that we won't need or want. By the way, you have a use for about 20,000 tons of lead?"

"Lead? That element is next to impossible to find on this planet. How did you end up with so much?"

"A couple of my colleagues were concerned about radiation leakage for some reason. They managed to get hold of what I guess is just about all the refined lead available on this continent. I finally convinced them it was unnecessary. It's not like radiation is coming up from the ground or anything."

"I could probably use some of it, but not that much." Jor thought lead might be useful in containing the effects of element 349.

"I'll see if I can cut you off a slice or two. What kind of projects are you getting into these days?"

"I... am busy with the Science Council's bidding. I've been investigating the tremors our world has been experiencing lately. And of course the Kandor disappearance is still an open case... officially."

"Yes, you've told me they weren't too receptive of your theory."

"I know the explanation sounds implausible, but after reviewing the evidence, I'm sure it is the truth. I have finished the thought transfer crystal, also. I am currently programming as much history and scientific information as I can into one that I plan to give to my new son when he is older."

"Everything you ever wanted to know about Krypton in less than a minute!"

"That's pretty much the size of it. And finally, I have been working to learn as much about space travel and propulsion as I can."

"You should call Ken-Dal. I've seen a lot of his work and it is brilliant."

"Exactly what I've done. In fact, we're putting together a couple of models to experiment with. The first one is set for a launch next month. We may even include a living payload; a small animal, perhaps."

"You may want to keep current on the biosphere project, too. What we learn from this could just be very beneficial to a long term voyage in space. I am very excited about it... and I'm very excited about your 'Star-Child'. Congratulations again, brother. I hope to see my nephew in person soon. Stay in touch."

"I will, Zor, but..."

"What is it, brother?"

"I will soon be speaking to the Science Council about... about the quakes that have been happening. I want you to know it will be... controversial. No matter what you hear about it, Zor, know that everything I reveal on that occasion will be based on fact, and that, above all, the good of all Kryptonians is uppermost on my mind. I have the feeling that I will need all the support that I can get when this all comes to light and if my theories prove to be correct. And know something else, brother."

Zor suddenly felt concerned and a bit fearful at his brother's dire tone. "What would that be, Jor?"

"That no matter what happens, I love you."

When the call ended, Zor-El recognized in himself an emotion that he was unused to. He had always been the more optimistic brother, but he was worried now. He was worried about Jor's findings. He was worried about what could happen to his brother after his appearance in the Science Council meeting. And he worried about the sound of Jor's voice. _He sounded, _thought Zor, _as if he would never see me again… as if the world were about to explode!_

One thing he was **not** worried about, however, was his own experiment, the Argo City Biosphere Project. Almost everything was in readiness – only a few loose ends to take care of and the ambitious trial would begin.

A lengthy experiment of magnificent proportions with results sure to impact all of Krypton and its people, the Argo City project would eventually pave the way for Kryptonian colonization on distant planets – no matter how hostile the conditions. The idea was to enclose the city (actually more of a small town) in a practically indestructible transparent dome within which all aspects of life support – i.e. food, water, breathable atmosphere, etc. – would be grown, manufactured or recycled within the confines of the biosphere. Zor-El had consulted with the top men and women of practically every science in order to assure success in this great endeavor. If the men and women of the Argo project could manage to sustain themselves for the full five year duration, the next step would be to attempt to build such an encampment on another world for a similar length of time. No small commitment, every man, every woman, every family that would reside in Argo City had given their consent for the sake of science.

It would be gratifying to see his grand idea become a reality, and whether it was the excitement of this or the grim manner of his brother, or a combination of the two, Zor-El had trouble sleeping at the outset of that night. A strange dream, probably brought on by his brother's unusual conversation, invaded his mind. When he uneasily awoke, he was in a cold sweat. He couldn't remember the entire dream, and it was already becoming but a blur, but he seemed to recall chaos, life, and death. And something else that was rapidly fading... What was it? He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt an overpowering urge to learn as much about spacecraft propulsion as possible. In the morning, he would contact Jor and Ken-Dal and ask them to upload copies of their work to his computer.

"And another thing," he said to himself as he covered himself with his blankets, "I'm not waiting any longer. I'm going to ask Allura to marry me… tomorrow, if she'll have me!" He spoke with a sense of urgency that seemed to put him back in control, and he turned over, closed his eyes, and slept peacefully through the remainder of the night.


End file.
